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Health

Ozempic and Wegovy have heart health benefits beyond just weight loss

A study in pigs has shown that the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy directly boosts heart health, in addition to the benefits of losing weight

By Michael Le Page

30 December 2024

Illustration of semaglutide (red) activating a key receptor, called GLP-1 (blue)

JUAN GAERTNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Alamy

The active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, a drug called semaglutide, can have direct beneficial effects on the heart within weeks, in addition to the longer-term benefits of losing weight, an animal study has shown.

The finding suggests that people with heart disease who don’t have type 2 diabetes or obesity, which semaglutide is primarily used to treat, might also benefit from taking this kind of drug. “It may be that we’re missing a…

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